incubate

[ in-kyuh-beyt, ing- ]

/ ˈɪn kyəˌbeɪt, ˈɪŋ- /

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See synonyms for: incubate / incubated / incubating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), in·cu·bat·ed, in·cu·bat·ing.

to sit upon (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.

to hatch (eggs), as by sitting upon them or by artificial heat.

to maintain at a favorable temperature and in other conditions promoting development, as cultures of bacteria or prematurely born infants.

to develop or produce as if by hatching; give form to: His brain was incubating schemes for raising money.

verb (used without object), in·cu·bat·ed, in·cu·bat·ing.

to sit upon eggs.

to undergo incubation.

to develop; grow; take form: A plan was slowly incubating in her mind.

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Origin of incubate

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin incubātus, past participle of incubāre “to lie or recline on, to sit on (eggs),” equivalent to in- “in” + cub(āre) “to sit, lie down” + -ātus past participle suffix; see in-², -ate¹. Cf. incumbent, concubine

OTHER WORDS FROM incubate

in·cu·ba·tive, adjectiveun·in·cu·bat·ed, adjective

Words nearby incubate

incriminate, incross, incrossbred, in-crowd, incrust, incubate, incubation, incubation patch, incubation period, incubator, incubous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use incubate in a sentence

TikTok is “a perfect platform to fail fast and learn quickly, because the appetite for the content is not as rigid or prescribed as some of the other platforms we have spent time incubating,” she noted.
TikTok pays Group Nine Media to create science videos as Gen Z segment grows|Sara Guaglione|February 3, 2021|Digiday
The monitors appear to lay their eggs over a few weeks and leave, letting them incubate over the eight-month dry season, Doody says.
Monitor lizards’ huge burrow systems can shelter hundreds of small animals|Jake Buehler|January 19, 2021|Science News
Fabulous was incubated at Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight, which is led by Professor Dan Ariely.
Can habit-tracking apps help bring some routine back to our quarantine lives?|Nisha Chittal|January 1, 2021|Vox
The researchers then collected and incubated microbes from both locations in a refrigerator and provided them with hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
Glacier-dwelling bacteria thrive on chemical energy derived from rocks and water|Kate Baggaley|December 30, 2020|Popular-Science

I asked David whether I could use his class to incubate my cubesat idea.
My satellite would fit in a small suitcase.|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
They employ and fund researchers, incubate and test new technologies relating to energy storage, production and carbon capture.
Why Stanford Should Keep Its Coal Stocks|Daniel Gross|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Texas may be a testing ground, but it is in Silicon Valley that ideas germinate and incubate.
The GOP’s Huge, Growing Modernity Gap|Lloyd Green|June 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Koch helped kill one species of Democratic politics and incubate another.
Who Is the Republican Ed Koch?|Peter Beinart|February 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And so DeMint, an implacable foe of Obamacare, will now get paid to run the organization that helped incubate Obamacare.
Fiscal Cliff Countdown, Day 30: Senate Meets Dada|Daniel Gross|December 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In another study, “one man reported that he felt compelled to incubate and help hatch out a clutch of bantam chickens.”
Will I Get Fat? 15 Signs You'll Gain Weight|Anneli Rufus|November 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Both sexes take part in nest construction, but the hen alone appears to incubate.
A Bird Calendar for Northern India|Douglas Dewar
Incubate at 37° C. for forty-eight hours and eliminate any contaminated tubes.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Incubate at 37° C. for forty-eight hours and eliminate any contaminated culture flasks.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Incubate for forty-eight hours at 37° C. and reject any contaminated tubes.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Incubate at 37° C. for forty-eight hours to eliminate contaminated tubes.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre

British Dictionary definitions for incubate

incubate

/ (ˈɪnkjʊˌbeɪt) /

verb

(of birds) to supply (eggs) with heat for their development, esp by sitting on them

to cause (eggs, embryos, bacteria, etc) to develop, esp in an incubator or culture medium

(intr) (of eggs, embryos, bacteria, etc) to develop in favourable conditions, esp in an incubator

(intr) (of disease germs) to remain inactive in an animal or human before causing disease

to develop or cause to develop gradually; foment or be fomented

Derived forms of incubate

incubation, nounincubational, adjectiveincubative or incubatory, adjective

Word Origin for incubate

C18: from Latin incubāre to lie upon, hatch, from in- ² + cubāre to lie down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

incubate

Origin of incubate

OTHER WORDS FROM incubate

Words nearby incubate

Words related to incubate

How to use incubate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for incubate

Derived forms of incubate

Word Origin for incubate